Why you need a Pomodoro timer in your life – and 5 other ways to stay productive

As the days start to meld into each other, some techniques to help you focus

Some people may be struggling to remain productive while working from home. Courtesy Getty

What day is it again?

As we continue to stay indoors and work from home, the hours – or indeed days – may feel like they are starting to blend into each other. In this new Groundhog Day-esque existence, Sunday and Tuesdays and Thursdays meld into one, punctuated by long, gaping weekends.

You may, as a result, be struggling to stay motivated or productive, or to manage your time as effectively as you might have done in a rigid office environment. Enter the Pomodoro timer.

Break up your day

A time-management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, the Pomodoro technique does not, as the name may suggest, encourage excessive pasta consumption.

What it does is break your working day into 25 minute intervals, separated by five-minute breaks. After four 25-minute “pomodori”, there is a 15-minute break. Used by millions of people around the world to improve productivity, the method is based on the idea that frequent breaks can improve mental agility. The timers can be downloaded for free from multiple sources online.

The technique encourages you to focus fully on a single task for an allocated amount of time, rather than allowing your attention to wander aimlessly. All you have to do is set your task and then vow to give it your undivided attention for 25 minutes. If you realise mid-task that there’s something else that needs to be done, simply make a note of it, and then continue on. When it’s time for your break, make sure to distract yourself for five minutes – make a cup of tea, walk around your living room or head to your balcony for some fresh air.

Take regular breaks to keep productivity levels high. Courtesy Bene

Once you get the hang of the Pomodoro technique, you’ll get better at estimating how long certain tasks take, and organising your pomodori accordingly. You’ll also learn that there are very few emails or calls that can’t wait to be answered.

If the 25-minute timeframe doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of tools online that will allow you to customise the technique – the important thing is to break your working day into manageable chunks, be mindful of how you are spending your time and to get those much-needed breaks in between.

Do the things you dread first

Maybe it’s an unpleasant phone call that you’ve been putting off. Or some much-hated admin that has lurked at the top of your to-do list for days. Or that project that you don’t want to start because it feels too overwhelming.

Whatever it is, tackle it first. Otherwise it’ll just become a distraction as you try to get through your working day. You might be tempted to ease into your day by getting the easy things out of the way, but there’s nothing more satisfying than setting out with a sense of achievement (as opposed to a sense of dread).

Set a schedule

When you’re working from home, it can be tempting to have a little lie-in, or turn breakfast into an extended affair, or work later into the evenings. But setting a rigid schedule and sticking to it will help you stay focused and productive. As we are all currently confined to our homes, it is more important than ever to create a clear differentiator between work time and non-work time.

Maintain a clutter-free space

Declutter your work space. Stefan Wermuth / Bloomberg

A few weeks in and your “home office” may have started looking a little messy, which may be impacting your state of mind. Keep your work space clutter-free and simple – a laptop, phone and a note pad are all you really need to get things done.

Plan for tomorrow

Before you sign off for the day, spend a few minutes thinking about what you need to achieve the following day. Make a short list and then shut off completely. This means you’ll start your day with a sense of focus.

Consume less information

We live in an age when we are inundated with information, but if you want to maintain focus, you’ll have to start being a lot more selective about what information you consume and when you consume it. Start thinking about what value you are getting out of the information you are consuming – and then be a lot stricter with yourself.